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An appeal for disabled Burmese refu



Subject: An appeal for disabled Burmese refugees

Urgent Action Appeal

Based on the information in following letter, please frame your own appeal
to UNHCR, Bangkok, on behalf of Ko Moe Kyaw, and the many other Burmese
refugees, especially the handicapped, who have been waiting for years to get
into the Safe Area and out of Thailand.  

fyi, Ko Moe Kyaw already has a sponsor in the US, but he still must receive
special medical attention as long as he is in Thailand.  

UNHCR is moving painfully slowly on Burmese cases (for example, it can take
up to four months for an infant born to a "Person of Concern" to itself be
recognized, and until the baby is recognized the mother cannot enter the
Safe Area!)   This whole process should become much more efficient.  There
are also many handicapped Buremse refugees who need and deserve more
compassionate consideration.

Please also send a carbon copy of your appeal to:

Mrs. Sadako Ogata
High Commissioner
United Nations High Command for Refugees
94 Montbrilliant Street
Geneva, Switzerland CH 1202

Thank you for your help.  


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 


Ms. Anna Wang Heed 
Protection Officer 
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Branch Office in Thailand
United Nations Building
Rajdammern Ave
PO Box 2-121
Bangkok 10200
Thailand
fax: 011-66-280-0555

Date:  30 March 1999 
Subject:  Efficient and compassionate treatment of the disabled 

Dear Madam;

	First of all I would like to let you know about a disabled refugee named
Moe Kyaw (NI-8126) now residing in the Safe Area.  He received severe
landmine injuries four years ago in which he lost both hands and his right
eye.  After transplanting both cornea and lens in his left eye, he  regained
vision, but the condition of that eye is extremely delicate, since it was
severely damaged.  As the physician who gave him the first hand treatment, I
continue to care for him and accompany him to the specialist OPD for his
follow-up examinations.

	Last week on 22 March, Moe Kyaw entered the Safe Area.  On 29 March 1999,
his  follow-up to Corneal Specialist OPD was scheduled.   Although we have
repeatedly appealed to UNHCR officials responsible for the Safe Area, they
refused to understand his case and told us to go to see the doctors in
Ratchburi Hospital in April 1999.  Because I know that there is no "corneal
specialist" in Ratchburi Hospital, I explained the facts to the officials
but they were very dogmatic in their so-called policy.  They said they need

the recommendation of Ratchburi Hospital to give Moe Kyaw the treament in
Bangkok despite the fact that he has been receiving expert treatment at
Chulalongkorn Hospital for three years.  Again I explained patiently to them
that the treatment for Moe Kyaw would be delayed if we wait for that
unnecessary recommendation from Ratchburi Hospital,  and that we would miss
his follow-ups, which could have serious consequences for his eye.  It would
also mean that Moe Kyaw would require yet one more month to receive the
treatment.

	Because of the above considerations, I decided to send him to the hospital
even though FISRAPT and UNHCR (Safe Area) refused to cooperate about his
follow-up.  At Chulalongkorn Hospital, the ophthalmologist explained me that
a stitch from the transplanted  cornea had loosened and was coming out.
That can be serious and irritate the transplanted cornea.  Fortunately the
specialist was able at that exam to solve the problem by removing the loose
stitch which, if neglected, might have caused serious harm.

	What I would like to explain you is that Moe Kyaw is a disabled person.
Moreover, he has only one eye, so he need to take good care of the remaining
one and only eye.  Although UNHCR employs many trained and skillful medical
and social personnel, they have refused to understand Moe Kyaw's special
problems and have neglected him.

	When I raised the question, "Will you take responsibility if something
happens to Moe Kyaw's eye?" they replied that they cannot take any
responsibilities.  What does it mean?  Do they consider his case as
non-emergency?  

	I must regard it as shameful for the UNHCR, when the international
community and the funders of UNHCR learn of such bureaucratic, unfeeling,
and even inhumane treatment toward a refugee with no hands and one and only
one damaged eye. If this incident occurred because of UNHCR's red tape, I
would like to request you to loosen the red tape for such disabled people.
If this misjudgment was made by certain individuals, UNHCR should
restructure your field staff.

	I am a refugee too.  You know that refugees are human beings.  I saw a
poster in the UNHCR office, "Einstein was a refugee".  Humane and
compassionate treatment is always welcome, but discrimination, or inhumane,
cold decisions hurt the refugees who have already lost home and country. 

	I urge UNHCR (Bangkok) to be more efficient and understanding in carrying
out its tasks, especially toward the most vulnerable of refugees, the
handicapped.

Sincerely, 
Kyaw Thet Oo (MD) 
NI-8773 





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